Bought a V8 Vantage Today!
Discussion
Evening all,
Thought I'd put up a small review on my day out today
A bit of background, I've been hunting for a replacement for my much loved 3 year old Evora for a while now, and today I got round to driving a 2010 4.7 V8 Vantage. It's going to be a difficult car to replace, but I've been itching for a change for a while.. I have tried all the usual suspects, but none have really pushed my buttons. The logical choice would have been to upgrade to an Evora S but I didn't feel it was a big enough change to justify the cost. So I booked a drive in a V8 Vantage 4.7 at Murrays in Edinburgh
Initial thoughts - absolutely stunning car in the metal. It looks understated next to the Orange, but still has plenty of purpose. Great proportions. Big presence aswell. Looks great from all angles. Surprisingly compact at the same time.
Interior - fantastic. Beautiful place to sit, the quality and materials are stunning. I feel a bit out of place haha! The premium stereo is excellent, although very bassy? Pedals are significantly off Centre compared to the Evora (which was left) Vantage on the right. No big issue, although the clutch pedal is in the same place as the Evora's brake.. Lots of luggage space which is a must have for me. The dials are a work of art, especially when lit up. Although they are quite difficult to read when on the move. The handbrake will take some getting used to..
Drive - first of all the sound is phenomenal from the outside. Surprisingly quiet from the inside. We roll out the car park and onto a 40mph DC. Nice weight to the steering which is a pleasant surprise, it's no Lotus, but it's still very nice. It feels very planted, very solid. The clutch is heavy in comparison, and the wheel is big, although nice to hold. The seat adjustment is superb. Will take me a while to find my comfy point. It's difficult not to compare it to the Evora, and put simply its no where near as chuckable round the roundabouts. But that's to be expected. Onto a motorway and the torque is massive. Lots of shove from low down. Very quiet, I can imagine it would be great for long distances. Fuse 22 was in place. I liked the quiet nature of it, but think the temptation to remove F22 would get the better of me. It feels subdued with its slower throttle response, and slower steering. Not in a bad way, just different. It's a much better cruiser. Again in 6th, plenty of torque to waft along with. Lovely.
Ride - I've just done 150 miles in it and surprised how compliant it is. Its not as 'magic carpet' as the Evora, but its very near. It is significantly better than I thought it would be. It is a real brute, but very relaxing at the same time. Doesn't feel like much body roll, but I didn't push it much today.
Overall, I'm extremely chuffed with it. I did worry when we shook hands that I would regret it. I will miss the Lotus for sure, but I'm looking forward to getting to know the Vantage.
A few questions
- Where is the subwoofer located? Its very very bassy, and I have tried turning down the settings.
- Is there a fuse removal tool? I want to try taking out Fuse 22 to see how much of a difference it makes, but my fingers can't quite catch it..
I'll no doubt have more questions in time.
Thought I'd put up a small review on my day out today
A bit of background, I've been hunting for a replacement for my much loved 3 year old Evora for a while now, and today I got round to driving a 2010 4.7 V8 Vantage. It's going to be a difficult car to replace, but I've been itching for a change for a while.. I have tried all the usual suspects, but none have really pushed my buttons. The logical choice would have been to upgrade to an Evora S but I didn't feel it was a big enough change to justify the cost. So I booked a drive in a V8 Vantage 4.7 at Murrays in Edinburgh
Initial thoughts - absolutely stunning car in the metal. It looks understated next to the Orange, but still has plenty of purpose. Great proportions. Big presence aswell. Looks great from all angles. Surprisingly compact at the same time.
Interior - fantastic. Beautiful place to sit, the quality and materials are stunning. I feel a bit out of place haha! The premium stereo is excellent, although very bassy? Pedals are significantly off Centre compared to the Evora (which was left) Vantage on the right. No big issue, although the clutch pedal is in the same place as the Evora's brake.. Lots of luggage space which is a must have for me. The dials are a work of art, especially when lit up. Although they are quite difficult to read when on the move. The handbrake will take some getting used to..
Drive - first of all the sound is phenomenal from the outside. Surprisingly quiet from the inside. We roll out the car park and onto a 40mph DC. Nice weight to the steering which is a pleasant surprise, it's no Lotus, but it's still very nice. It feels very planted, very solid. The clutch is heavy in comparison, and the wheel is big, although nice to hold. The seat adjustment is superb. Will take me a while to find my comfy point. It's difficult not to compare it to the Evora, and put simply its no where near as chuckable round the roundabouts. But that's to be expected. Onto a motorway and the torque is massive. Lots of shove from low down. Very quiet, I can imagine it would be great for long distances. Fuse 22 was in place. I liked the quiet nature of it, but think the temptation to remove F22 would get the better of me. It feels subdued with its slower throttle response, and slower steering. Not in a bad way, just different. It's a much better cruiser. Again in 6th, plenty of torque to waft along with. Lovely.
Ride - I've just done 150 miles in it and surprised how compliant it is. Its not as 'magic carpet' as the Evora, but its very near. It is significantly better than I thought it would be. It is a real brute, but very relaxing at the same time. Doesn't feel like much body roll, but I didn't push it much today.
Overall, I'm extremely chuffed with it. I did worry when we shook hands that I would regret it. I will miss the Lotus for sure, but I'm looking forward to getting to know the Vantage.
A few questions
- Where is the subwoofer located? Its very very bassy, and I have tried turning down the settings.
- Is there a fuse removal tool? I want to try taking out Fuse 22 to see how much of a difference it makes, but my fingers can't quite catch it..
I'll no doubt have more questions in time.
Very nice..... If you enjoy you're aston experience just half as much as I did, you'll be a happy man....
Road presence is something you'll get used to...... Cars in front just seem to part and let you through.... No need to push, intimidate or bully..... Just appear in their rear view and most move over quite happily.... Well that's what I found anyway...
Regarding the fuse just grab it with a pair of pointy pliers
Road presence is something you'll get used to...... Cars in front just seem to part and let you through.... No need to push, intimidate or bully..... Just appear in their rear view and most move over quite happily.... Well that's what I found anyway...
Regarding the fuse just grab it with a pair of pointy pliers
Hi and welcome, lovely cars
The subwoofer is behind the passenger seat - you will see a hole there just at floor level and can feel the air flow too if you put your hand there. I just turned my down in the settings, worked a treat and the sound is gorgeous, although like others sometimes I prefer to just listen tot he engine.
Re the fuse, I used long nose liars for mine but be careful ( more than. I was) as if you drop it under the fuse box it's a bugger to get out again ( or. It was until I thought of using a reverse flow vacuum cleaner to blow it out!).
Enjoy your car and best wished with it
The subwoofer is behind the passenger seat - you will see a hole there just at floor level and can feel the air flow too if you put your hand there. I just turned my down in the settings, worked a treat and the sound is gorgeous, although like others sometimes I prefer to just listen tot he engine.
Re the fuse, I used long nose liars for mine but be careful ( more than. I was) as if you drop it under the fuse box it's a bugger to get out again ( or. It was until I thought of using a reverse flow vacuum cleaner to blow it out!).
Enjoy your car and best wished with it
avinalarf said:
Excellent post good luck with the car.
P.S. If you like ladyboys I'm your man , pm me if you're interested.
Sigh. P.S. If you like ladyboys I'm your man , pm me if you're interested.
Justin, it's easy to think there are gibbering baboons on this forum, but even this chap is in fact a fellow Aston driver. I don't know how he passed the AM entrance exam.
avinalarf said:
P.S. If you like ladyboys I'm your man , pm me if you're interested.
I honestly never saw one of those on the options list when I bought mine, I must have gone to the wrong dealership 
To the original poster (OP) likewise welcome and lovely car in a great colour (yes I'm biaised as Meteorite is same for me). I left fuse 22 in mine for couple of months after buying and then removed as has been said just with a pair of thin nose pliers - took less than 5 mins and step by step is included in FAQ - so easy and so worthwhile
Jon1967x said:
I wish I'd thought of that.. she arrives in 6 days 17 hours and 44 mins.. not that I'm counting...
Good move...I sold mine 4 days 6 hours and 22 minutes ago....
Funnily enough road presence was one of he things the buyer remarked upon on the test drive...
I gently gained on a few cars on a dual carriageway, and everyone moved over and I went by.... The buyer was surprised, at how obvious it was that they were moving to let me pass..
Happens a lot...
Quinny said:
Good move...
I sold mine 4 days 6 hours and 22 minutes ago....
Funnily enough road presence was one of he things the buyer remarked upon on the test drive...
I gently gained on a few cars on a dual carriageway, and everyone moved over and I went by.... The buyer was surprised, at how obvious it was that they were moving to let me pass..
Happens a lot...
Once you notice that, it creates a bad driving habit ... I just barge into empty spaces in traffic thinking "of course they'll let me in, I'm in an Aston. In fact, I'm doing them a favour as they get a better view of the car with me in front of them".I sold mine 4 days 6 hours and 22 minutes ago....
Funnily enough road presence was one of he things the buyer remarked upon on the test drive...
I gently gained on a few cars on a dual carriageway, and everyone moved over and I went by.... The buyer was surprised, at how obvious it was that they were moving to let me pass..
Happens a lot...
You are wise to go for a complete change and I think you will love the Aston experience, congrats on getting a lovely car....
2 tips...
1 - as well as removing fuse 22 detach the rear parcel shelf and place it neatly in the boot, you won't believe the difference it makes to the V8's lovely voice.
2- Annnd the Premium audio offers adjustment for both bass and subwoofer level, play with both(+ Dolby surround, front rear balance, treble) and you can easily reduce the bass, also if the surround settings are maxed out (or the fade turned heavily to the rear)this can cause it to be a bit more muffled/bass heavy - check out the FAQ at the top of the page for some setting to play with, it is a great audio system when you get the set-up right.
Enjoy that stunning car
2 tips...
1 - as well as removing fuse 22 detach the rear parcel shelf and place it neatly in the boot, you won't believe the difference it makes to the V8's lovely voice.
2- Annnd the Premium audio offers adjustment for both bass and subwoofer level, play with both(+ Dolby surround, front rear balance, treble) and you can easily reduce the bass, also if the surround settings are maxed out (or the fade turned heavily to the rear)this can cause it to be a bit more muffled/bass heavy - check out the FAQ at the top of the page for some setting to play with, it is a great audio system when you get the set-up right.
Enjoy that stunning car
Jon1967x said:
Quinny said:
Cars in front just seem to part and let you through.... No need to push, intimidate or bully..... Just appear in their rear view and most move over quite happily....
As a BMW driver I'm struggling with this concept montecristo said:
avinalarf said:
Excellent post good luck with the car.
P.S. If you like ladyboys I'm your man , pm me if you're interested.
Sigh. P.S. If you like ladyboys I'm your man , pm me if you're interested.
Justin, it's easy to think there are gibbering baboons on this forum, but even this chap is in fact a fellow Aston driver. I don't know how he passed the AM entrance exam.
Or are you a bit peeved I never offered you my Ladyboys, they are fussy,but I'll see what I can do.
That's the kind of bloke I am !
avinalarf said:
Steady on fella, just proffering our new comrade the hand of friendship.
Or are you a bit peeved I never offered you my Ladyboys, they are fussy,but I'll see what I can do.
That's the kind of bloke I am !
Yes, my comment came out more aggressive than intended. Just backtracking quietly now...Or are you a bit peeved I never offered you my Ladyboys, they are fussy,but I'll see what I can do.
That's the kind of bloke I am !
Are these ladyboys a real service? Do you have a ratecard you can PM me? Just asking for a friend.
Edited by montecristo on Friday 13th December 19:18
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